About the bean bags, if these guys are Gold members you can get pressure applied to them by Alibaba. The platform has had a major shake up trying to weed out the crooks and they chase problems up quickly. try this person as a starting point. [redacted] Killy sells gold membership and will be able to point you in the right direction. Just make sure your correct and all your paperwork is factual. They will want to see it all and photos of the products and shipping samples for comparison. Hope this helps and if you want a change try Crazy contact lenses! Jim
2047 Comments (page 6)
Hi Daniel, A couple of things to watch out for in the UK importing. I do this regularly and you need to watch it. Just this week I had a shipment of contact lenses come in. Was only USD940.00 but on top of that I was charged VAT GBP124.00 Duty GBP17.42 and a fee of GBP11.00 . the VAT is no problems because im registered and can claim it back. The duty and the handling fee are a direct hit in the back pocket. I knew these fees so im covered. Just watch out say you buy the camera for 20.00 quid, add shipping then add freight and duty you could be up to 40 quid before you know it. The secret is once you like the quality then import several at a time. One shipping fee for many products reduces the cost of shipping for each item right down. Good Luck Jim
Many thanks Jim, l hope you are right. I'll be getting onto Alibaba shortly. Thanks for the heads up about the contact lenses too :-) Hayley
Hi Jim, Thanks a lot for making me aware of these hidden fees! is there any other difficulties I might face when importing?
Daniel, I think you should get your toe in the water with a UK based drop ship company. You can buy pretty cheap and since they ship into the UK by sea their freight component is a fraction of an air shipment. Things to look out for. My mate sells cameras and all that type of big brand electronics online. He gets on average per month 20,000 of attempted fraud because when someone steals a card they try and buy big ticket items. That's why I sell contact lenses, not really the target of criminals. Will made a great point in his blog. Look at LED bulbs, last time I was in B&Q I was shocked at how expensive they are and the GU10 ones we used blew with such regularity it was almost a fortnightly visit to the store. Jim
Hey James, I think you can pretty much make money at anything if you keep at it long enough. What maters more is how persistent you are and how much of yourself you put into the business. So, I think it's more important to start a business that is in line with your personality, strengths, and weaknesses. For me, I'm having more fun helping other entrepreneurs grow their businesses by giving them a helping hand. I was doing fine with my marketing agency for a while, but I got tired of trading time for money. So I started StartupBros. For some people, importing will be the perfect business. Others will avoid it. If you're drawn towards it, then try it out and see if you like it! If you have $15,000 in capital, then you have more than enough money to find and fund a business you'd enjoy building for the next few years (at least). Hope this helps, Will
Hi, i am pallning to import products from China to INDIA. do i have any legal or tax or paying extra money or coustoms problem. i need to import electronic iteams through DHL. Could you please give necessary deatils! Cheers Lakky
Sorry to hear you got scammed like that Jim, sounds like you ended up with some dedicated scammers. Good to hear you ended up turning that setback into a profitable learning experience. Very cool product, I'd love to hear more about what you've had to deal with on the FDA regulations. If somebody emailed me with that product idea, I'd be very scared of the regulations. I guess you've figured it out though! Congrats on your success, Will
Glad you liked the article Daniel! Since you're in the UK, you have some tax issues you need to get around. There's some great comments above on this article related to that, if you search around you'll find it. Then, since you're doing electronics, you're going to have some extra quality control issues to deal with. You'll need to hire an inspector to go in and inspect the order multiple times during production. You'll need to make sure all the electronic components on the boards are American or Japanese made, because Chinese electronic components just aren't up the American quality standards. You'll need to test all the accessories and make sure you don't have any voltage issues, that's a very common problem. You'll also have to go into the operating system and see how that is, because that will play a role in your product. These are all reasons I typically avoid electronics. It's very hard to make money in electronics without very high volume. Products depreciate quickly and are obsolete in under 2 years. On top of that, you need to buy in massive quantities to compete with all the big buyers in that market. And you'll have to visit China much more frequently with electronics. That's why I say to avoid them in the article. That being said, if you can do all of these things, they will serve as protection from new competition. You can be successful in electronics, but it's tough. Hope this helps, Will
Ah, and here's all the info you need :) Thanks for the great info Jim!
Awesome Simon! I'll probably be emailing you soon with questions :)
Awesome, thanks a lot for the advice Cecily! I think there's definitely potential in your product, like you said you just need to find the buyers. I'm sure you guys will get it done :) Good luck to you and your factory, Will
Sorry to hear about the bad order Hayley, hope you guys can turn it around. Jim left a great comment, I think he covered everything :)
Thanks Jim, you rock! :)
Hi Lakky, I read it like you want to import from China to India. Are you in India? If your not in either of these countries or don't have someone at each end of the supply chain you can trust it could be hard to manage and keep everything sorted. Will is spot on with regards to having to be careful about the electronics from China, Historically they are used in cheap toys and don't stand up for long in high end electronics. Most electronic manufacturers are either in Malaysia or Taiwan. The golden rule I learnt the hardway is if it looks too good to be true......it is! Oh and the tax issues. Each country has its own level of GST,VAT, duty etc. And if you are living in say USA, UK or Australia then each of the tax regime's in these countries would want to tax you on this extra earnings...because they can! Regards Jim
Spot on advice once again Jim - you know your stuff! :) Thanks!
Hi Will, with regards to FDA its tough in the states as you know and each state have different laws. I am a UK company and sell singularly for the most part to the states. Never had a shipment stopped. Most of the lenses go all over the world. Saying that though my products are made by a company that has been around for many years and have been certified by the Korean FDA, use US FDA approved material, CE, ISO and a few more. I could buy cheap Chinese copies which are all over Alibaba but as a seller I feel I have a duty of care to my customers. Have a good one mate! Jim
Awesome - thanks for the advice Jim! I'll be sure to add all of this into the importing course I'm working on :)
Hi Jim, I found this article very useful as I was just thinking about starting an online business by importing products from china. I have a close relative in china who has been buying and selling products in china. Will this person be helpful for me in exporting products from china to Australia.. I have zero idea about import and export business.
Dear Jim, Thank you vey much for your valuble advise. Yes i have friend in India he will take care sorting, storage and deliver to coustemer. i am planning to import LED head showers, not the toys. Do i really need to order 1-3 samples to chak the quality and condition? before buying bulk! As you said about LED bulbs... Will you suggest me, some Good One ( Product seller in China) from your experience!! Cheers Lakky
Hi Jamie, Born and bred KIWI myself so Kiora! Just a few things to watch out for. I have been trading in Asia for the past 15 years. Free samples are few and far between as factories could go bust with the requests they get so although they might "give" it to you they will want payment in some way like excessive freight or similar. If you were wall mart asking then im sure a free one would be sent without a moments notice. Now, the baby products you have been looking at. Something close to my heart as I invented and have a patent on a device for stopping kids falling from open windows. The thing is there is so much regulation in anything to do with children and sometimes the CE mark is way to general to cover this. Here in Australia its TGA, UK its SGS or similar testing authorities. If you impoirt things that are stopped at customs and they want these certificates and you cant show them you could lose your goods. Good luck though mate and although Trademe has a monopoly there is always room for another KIWI trying to make a buck! Jim
I also found this to be a great article! I have been researching online now for import tips as I try to bring a product idea I have (currently just a picture in my head) into reality. I work full time right now but would love to start a business around my product idea on the side and eventually turn that into my main source of income. I've included a link in the comment that I found helpful and that shows you hit the nail on the head when you said that after narrowing down suppliers, the important thing to do is to judge how easy or difficult dealing with a supplier going forward will be by examining how good the supplier is about communicating with you in a clear and timely manner. I also read through the comments and noticed some talk about LLCs. On this point I had some expertise and wanted to add 2 points: - Depending on the state you live in LLC formation costs can vary widely. In some states it is as low as $150 in state filling fees to form a LLC, while in others (like California) the cost can be as high as $800 just in state filling fees - I would personally prioritize the formation of an LLC in relation to other start up expenses based on the liability risk of the product. If you are dealing with a product with higher liability risk (like toys for young children or something ingestible, e.g. a vitamin supplement) I would recommend creating an LLC before doing anything else. Even if in a potential lawsuit both you as the distributor and the manufacturer are named, chances are the plaintiff will work harder to go after you because you actually have assets in the country, whereas reaching the assets of a factory in China without any "nexus" in the U.S. would be very difficult. Hope my 2 cents adds some value! Best, Ed Richtin
gave me a good insight on doing business with chaina. :)
Hi All, Just in case anyone needs to get in touch with the right departments at Alibaba use these links. Email address from Alibaba.com buyer service: [redacted] Email address for Aliexpress.com buyer service : [redacted] When you need to submit a complaint about a member, you need to submit it through this link: http://channel.alibaba.com/complaint/home.htmtracelog=24581_foot_report_dispute This link goes to Safe Trading Department for fraud case & dispute http://resources.alibaba.com/discussion_board/88/Safe_Trading_Basics.htm Safe trading tips at Alibaba.com Safe trading guys and remember, a sample is a sample, the end product may not be what you think you are getting. For 300usd you can get a service to go and call on the factory, check out the production if you need to. Jim
Hello will, It's really good of you to share so much knowledge and experience with us, it's really helpful the way I got to your blog was again as I was trying to find out whether alibaba are reliable when they say gold members or online site checked, like everyone else here even I am looking to buy things from china but like lukky sell them in India, yes I do have family to look after it and sort everything out. M major concern is alibaba and the suppliers. I have been speaking to a few suppliers some have not got back to me and its the same company having posted the same product in diff colours as diff products which really confuses me. Any help or information would be much appreciated. Also the company said hat would give samples I have asked for pic first to make sure that the product is right and then the samples which they have agreed is this good? Also jim specified that each country can tax me on my income! Woo that's bad looks like every One is there for the kill. I look,forward to getting some more insight into alibaba and how do deal with the suppliers. Many thanks, Charmy
Hi Charmy, Just to clarify about the tax implications. If you are a resident of the UK and you import something you will be hit for the VAT and duty when it enters the country. If you make money from it you will be libel for tax on those earnings same as if you stack tins on a shelf at the store for a job. Most tax offices only tax you if you are in their actual country but laws change everyday and you should get advice from relevant government departments or look online as there is a huge amount of information. If you sell one or two things on ebay or similar sites I don't think the tax office is going to bust down your door so don't fret, but if you are embarking on importing as a living you should start off on the right foot and good advice can save you $$$ and peace of mind in the long run. Jim
Hi Lakky, ok, I have had a look for you for suppliers of LED shower heads. As Will mentions gold suppliers should be the first point of call. Check out this company Company Name: Jiangmen Triumph Rain Showers Co., Ltd. Operational Address: No. 1-2, Wusha Industry Area, Lile, Jianghai Dist., Jiangmen, Guangdong, China (Mainland) Website: http://www.tr-shower.com Website on alibaba.com: http://jmyingyu.en.alibaba.com A few things why this company might suit you. Firstly they have gold supplier status 2nd year. Their MOQ (minimum order qty) is 20 units. I look at it like taking a shot at the casino. I can afford to lose $200.00 so I will take a gamble. If the MOQ was 1000 units then it would be like putting the house on black at the roulette table. Make sure you ask questions like what material is the product made from. What is the warranty for defective goods. What is the QA (quality assurance) at the factory What's the life span of the item? and try to push for payment by PayPal even if it costs you an extra few percent as I think at present you can claw back the money or at least stop it with a dispute lodgement up to 45days after the payment. Good luck Jim
Daniel, An update on the camera/electronic plan you have in mind. I signed up some time ago on a dropshipper network site. The guy has been around for years, sells only genuine stuff and will create a site for you with RSS feed etc for very little. They were very helpful and I was up and running quickly. The beauty of this is he ships for you under your name anywhere in the world. The big disappointment was how little you make on each item and I only bring this up now as I just had an updated price list sent to me yesterday so I immediately thought of you. Happy to email it for you to check out as the guy does tissot watches, iphones and tons of other things. He is straight and I know a company that does considerable business with him but I also mentioned he gets attempted frauds daily upwards of 20,000 worth per month. He also faces problems with Paypal as they view this type of business with caution and make him leave 10% of all transaction in their system which in some cases is more than he makes. Lots of things to think about fella! if you want the list of his products to see what I mean you are welcome. And an idea for anyone, my son wanted super marios new wii game. Here in Australia $85.00 in the UK through I think amazon it was GBP39 delivered so a little bit of something in there to make. Its worth doing cross checking for things like this. Marks and spencer ship worldwide for free so check them out online, no freight and I think they also take off20% which is the local VAT (tax) Happy trading guys Jim
very helpful article. n wud like to take ur guidance in every step. may I know in which year did u start ur business
very helpful article. n wud like to take ur guidance in every step. may I know in which year did u start ur business.One more question. is there still same scope in china things bussines.
Awesome information here Jim, thanks for doing my job for me! I'll definitely have to get you access to my importing course before it launches - half to thank you for your help, and half for your critiquing :)
Glad to hear that Doren - now you just have to take action :)
Glad you liked the article Ed, and thanks a lot for the great advice! It's definitely possible to get a product made in China, although it's usually better to get your prototype done in America and then take it to China. China can duplicate existing products like you wouldn't believe, but they aren't very good at creating new products from even the most exact schematics. Couldn't agree more on the LLC advice for others reading - some people get caught up on this for months! Thanks again, Will
More information for my course! We've got to get together and do a blog post or interview or something Jim - you know your stuff!
Hello Jim, Thank you so much for taking time out to reply, I really appreciate it. Regarding the tax implication yes I do understand that if I was importing to the UK from china i would pay the vat and duty but what I am really trying to do is buy from china and sell it in India while I live in UK that's one. The next thing is I am looking to buy a product which was originally made in Switzerland but as china would always do they have made replicas now my thought here is to take advantage of that buy those replicas put my own logo on it and sell them in India would I have to do any legal formalities in it? Or according to you I would be better of just leaving the Chinese logo whatever they have got? After passing the designing phase the next thing is should I get the quality checked from an external company to make sure that the quality is good? And how do I rely on them to say that they would stick to the same standard? I have read your previous comments and understand that when buying from alibaba I should look at gold suppliers and escrow service. I have been doing that and I have found this company which has been gold supplier for 1 year does the escrow services site assessed they have also agreed to send me samples is there anything else I need to check if so how and what? I would love to hear back from you. Thank you once again. Charmy
Hi Charmy, Sounds like your on the right track picking the supplier. If possible they need to send you whats called a shipping sample. You have one sample and are happy with it. You then place your order and ask for 2 shipping samples from the production. Then you should see exactly what they are preparing to send. Watch out for anything made in China and carrying a name from elsewhere. Road to ruin that one. If say you want to do a nice watch, make up your own great sounding brand. Can be French, swiss whatever so long as its yours. And don't forget. Get it packaged nicely as packaging in China is cheap and can add real value to your product if its a retail style item. Good luck and let me know how you go. [redacted] regards Jim
Hi Pallavi, started importing 15 years ago. Been to China many times. I spread my dealing across 4 enterprises and we import close to 4 million per year and we are a 2 man operation Good luck!
Hi Will, Great article, really enjoyed it. I have managed to get a supplier who matches all the criteria in your article accept escrow? They will accept paypal and I am about to place a small order with them for a couple of hundred dollars to test the waters. Do you think no having the ability to escow is a deal breaker? Regards Kal
Dear Jim, You People are awesome, Your guidelines and answers are Precious!! Giving Super Energy to New Entrepreneurs, Thank you so much Brilliant Guys (Jim & Will), we are LUCKY to have you guys!! Cheers Lakky
Hi, Will i would say that u have written a fantastic article hats off to u i usually feel bored reading articles but i got the right person for an importing business...by the way Will the goods will shipped to home directly or we have to go and collect it from the customs...please reply my questions if i ask u in future i have many questions not getting in my mind right now...i will list down the questions and i will ask u in future...Thank you.
Hi all, I have a friend in the Uk who was chatting to me recently. He wants to get into the swamped and oversupplied world of iphone covers, ipad covers etc. I talked him out of it as it really is an over supplied market. But wait.......... could there be a niche in this market? most innovation is spurned from personal experience..... So when I lived in London one of the biggest pains was travelling the underground system. Trying to study a map on the wall at each station to plan the next change etc. This would be typical for most major cities in the world, Paris, New York, Chicago etc. So what about a cover with the underground map? What about a cover for tourists with some basic information for that particular city. Taxi numbers, emergency numbers, good hotel numbers almost anything of real help. Almost anything and some of the information you could actually get people to pay you to put on it making the actual item you are buying almost free........ I get offered lots of things online from China and I think the last time I checked an iphone cover was like 69 cents and that's before any negotiation. As a traveller I would buy one for each city I went to. No brainer......sheeeesh I wish there was more than one of me so I could actually do it! can I patent this idea?/ LOL Happy days and think out side the square! Jim
Jim, I've been watching your posts over the last couple of weeks. You are providing amazing information for people. I also know you are a two man operation and you mentioned "when I lived in the UK". I'm also from the UK, Edinburgh and living in the US for the last 20+ years....Jackanory;-) Would really like the chance to talk as, you may know, I own a 3PF (3rd party fulfillment) company. My goal is to work with small and start up companies in order to provide them order fulfillment and warehousing for their products. Fulfillment (picking & packing, shipping) and storage for the likes of all of you without the overhead of employees and time to get your products to the end user. You concentrate on your marketing and selling of any products. Just get the products to us and we take care of the rest. You also get to take advantage of our discounted rates on shipping. All of you have complete visibility and order capability to you real time inventory with your own login/storefront via our computer system. Also we are able to connect directly to your shopping cart on your website so all orders placed come straight to us for shipment the same day. There's a lot more to it, but we provide the tools to manage your stock and reorder points, analyze your sales/usage including alerts to let you know when you need to place orders in China or wherever your product comes from. Yourself and Will might want to explore this. We can receive, store and ship your product under your company name. From UPS/FEDEX (a few boxes) to pallet loads of merchandise. It's extremely cost effective. Would be glad to help and provide further info. This blog is fantastic stuff and a great learning tool. Simon.
Hi Simon, I ship in Full containers for the most part and for the contact lenses I ship in to Australia for distribution. Your sort of service for me would be great if I were doing a range of items that I couldn't warehouse or they needed to be closer to the market I was supplying. I have a distributor already in the states who warehouses a line of products I bring in from the Philippines so for me I am covered. Some of the start up people on here would probably be like me when I started and would rather have it piled in a bedroom or garage. Your service for me would be the step after my partner said, Jim, we cant move in our own house! most would look at adding a cost service into their plan as a giving away money but your type of service can actually open up markets with fast delivery and organisation. Good luck to you Simon......sad morning here as my rugby team the Crusaders were beaten by the Chiefs last night! Jim
Pallavi, scope in china is still great, they are going through the industrial revolution at the moment and prices in general are creeping up. Cut throat manufacturers (normally western owned) are moving into new third world markets like Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, India (40% of the worlds poverty here) to take advantage of the low wages structure. Alibaba works with many manufacturers from many different countries so don't be afraid to look in other places. Some thing I would always stay in china for. Duplicating. The Chinese are not innovators they are copiers and they have great steel resources for castings etc. The Taiwanese are great in electronics. The Thai's seem to be awesome at canned tuna (don't ask!) always scope mate. good luck!!
Hi, This article is very useful and provide lot of information. Regarding start up business or small kick starters, I would suggest you not to take a big order or find some cheap priced quotation in Alibaba. As there are lot of fake small companies available in Alibaba especially don't try to source some branded goods as it is very hard to find the cheaper price with all certifications instead you will lose your money. If you want to source goods in small quantity and to do it effectively especially for start ups. Try to send mail to quiet a lot of established suppliers from china and make sure you write in mail that you need some samples and will expand the order after first time. This will help you to draw attention from suppliers and they will quote you really good price with descent quality. If you want more information or How to find the right supplier and to source the hot sellers, feel free to write to me at [redacted]. If you have any problem with certain suppliers or if you want to clarify is it a believable supplier or a fake one mail me at [redacted]
Kevin, Not quite sure what your saying but I don't think what I think your saying holds water. Anyone want help with a supplier let me know. Never treat suppliers anyway other than professionally. You don't need to make any claims of next order will be big or such like. They will give you a good price based on the information and deal on the table now. Once your creaming the market then ask for better terms or prices. Kevin you seem a little disjointed here. Regards Jim
Thanks to guide I want to start cloth importing bussiness frm china market what I do tell me.
hi i have some questions 1 - if i bought some products from china id have to pay taxes ?? 2 - in what situation do i have to pay taxes ??? 3- can i buy wholesale , even i dont have a company ??? thanks in advance Cesar
Hey man, I have some questions about this, I wanna try it, but I have some stuff I need help with, could you talk to me on mail please? :) Thank you! Great guide btw!
Hi Cesar, the taxes you pay depend on which country you live in. There is normally duty and GST/VAT/import tax. In Australia however if the shipment is under 1000.00AUD there is no tax or duty. Great country to start in. You can buy "wholesale" sure but the price is the price on small numbers and as Will always says look for niche markets. Happy to answer questions but you need to have an idea of what you want to do so you can start testing prices, searching for your suppliers etc. Regards Jim
Hi, Thanks for sharing your experiences through your article! You've provided me with a lot of insight into the world of importing goods from wholesalers and manufacturers from overseas. My partner and I are from Australia and are thinking of starting an online business importing goods from Asia (mainly China) and selling on sites such as eBay to start off and basically try to grow it from there. And as nearly almost everything in Australia is expensive in comparison to the rest of the world, why not take advantage of this! As we can communicate fluently in Mandarin as well read and write, I thought firstly this could be another advantage when it comes to dealing with suppliers in China and Hong Kong etc. In addition to sourcing goods from Alibaba & Aliexpress, we've also managed to open up a Chinese bank account as well in order to purchase products from Taobao (you need to have a Chinese bank account). Taobao we've found to have been a great source to purchasing goods from China for cheap however I'm now considering perhaps it might be a good idea to attend a few Trade Expos ie.The China Import & Export Fair AKA The Canton Fair. I thought this might be a great opportunity to speak with suppliers directly face to face as well as build networks. I'd like to get your thoughts on attending trade expos in Asia (in particular China). As I would be having to fork out the costs of return airfares from Australia, are these expos worth the trip? Would it really help? What are the chances of me finding the 'perfect supplier' at these trade expos? Or is relying on sourcing suppliers online sufficient enough? Cheers, Nick
Hi Nick, The canton fair is an amazing place for newbies to get a real eyeful of the vastness of opportunity. I have been many times although nowadays I tend to stay away. If you go to it you need to know what you are looking for as its split into 2 x 5 day events. With over 7000 exhibitors you cant simply just go for a wander as you would need to do 1400 booths per day just to get around it. So target what you want. One of the problems with this show is there are many traders here. They mainly tell you they are the factory but actually buy and sell just like you want to. Problems I see is you might get products from different suppliers from them and therefore different quality of products. But saying that I started there and went there with a plan. Stay in a hotel near the exhibition because the crowds are something else and take advantage of the hotel if it offer registration. If you have to do it onsite then you need your passport and cannot do that as most of the hotels (actually all) hold your passport for the duration of your visit. Get pre registered and try to get ahead of the crowd. I would fly to HK then train up to Guangzhou which at show time of the year is so busy its unreal. Good Luck!! Jim
Thanks for the guide - you should charge for stuff like this!
Hello will, Thank you for your information it's great and helpful too, one Question,I live in San Diego California ,Do I need a business license for buying from china or Alibaba wholesale website? Thank you very much
Nick, just a comment to add. Reading your email I would assume you were bought up here in Australia as your grammar and sentence structures are very good. When I go and see one of my suppliers in Nanjing he always asks me to answer some of his correspondence from enquiries he gets from all over. He marvels at how easy we answer people with our knowledge of English. As you know or will soon find out, most Chinese companies produce brochures and 99% of them are shocking in regards to how they read. Many read like a Chinese person speaking pigeon English. Here's a business idea! Go to the Canton Fair and meet as many stall owners as you can and hand out your cards offering a service to make their literature read like its written by westerners. Its got an endless supply of potential customers, the business is electronic so the running costs are very low and you speak and write mandarin. I think you could blow the doors off your world offering this service with the skills you have! you will see what I mean when you get there and read stuff, even menus for restaurants are all over the place. Regards Jim
Hi Jim, Many thanks for the handy info. Much appreciated. Yes, my partner and I both grew up in Australia. We've traveled to China and all around Asia many times for holidaying so I know exactly what you mean about the bad English so see everywhere lol. Things like signs and restaurant menus with incorrect spelling and grammar. So your idea is definitely something we could definitely look into. We are planning to visit The Canton Fair this year (Oct-Nov 2013) so we'll see what happens :-) Kind regards, Nick
Nick, Just make sure you book the train tickets in advance if your going from HK that way and a good hotel is the Ramada Pearl which has a pre registration service, free shuttle from Guangzhou train station to the hotel and of course free shuttles to the fair. Food is Buffet style with a nice little bar run by mad Canadians down the street serving burgers and fries and cold beer! Have a great trip! Jim
Although I live in NZ, this is the first info I have come across that goes over basics like how to start! I am also wanting to get some clothing made in China to import to NZ. I would like to choose the fabric and already have a pattern in mind. How does one go about finding a factory to do this. I've no idea where to start.
Big Rugby fan myself though don't get to see much of it here. Was just sticking that out there as some people may not have the room and this provides an option. I'm all for start ups as everyone needs to start somewhere, just like yourself and Will. We offer full line warehousing too for multiple products. Some of which have 3000+ different items (that's mainly automotive stuff). It doesn't matter what the product is and they get big business tools to go along with it. We take care of all the nuts and bolts of getting it to the customer with added advantage. Also we can package multiple things to make up a product (kitting/handwork). You're obviously doing great, and your advice is instrumental in helping everyone. Keep up the great work!
Hi Rosika, Your relative in China could be extremely valuable! It's always good to have "boots on the ground" in whatever country you are importing from. Having somebody who can tour the factory will get you much better prices/MOQs. Having them come in and do Quality Control for you could be even more valuable. So in short, yes they can help a lot! I would even suggest giving them a 10% cut to help you out on this. Hope this helps, Will
Thanks for the help on this one Jim. And good luck to you Charmy! Be sure to keep us updated on your success story :)
Hi Kal, If your supplier will take PayPal, I think that's fine. I'm not sure why they wouldn't want to do Escrow but would want to do PayPal, so still be cautious. But, if your payment goes through PayPal, you'll have financial protection in place. Be sure to let us know how the samples are! Good luck, Will
Glad you liked the article Sahir! If you ship via air, then it will come to your door. If you ship via sea freight, you'll need to hire another company to ship it from the port to your (warehouse) door. Hope this helps, Will
Awesome idea Jim! It's important to have this mindset going into it. You've come up with a spin on an existing, stale, and frankly DEAD market (for small-scale importing, at least). You've added value and made it interesting again. That's exactly the type of modifications people should be trying and playing with! As usual, thanks for the valuable comment Jim! :-D
Hi Em, Great to see you having a crack at doing your own thing. With regards to you your own patter/design you may have to take substantial MOQ's (minimum order quantities) but if its different and you have a great design it could be winner. The factory would make samples for you at a cost which they normally refund if you place and order. Try Alibaba for the manufacturers trying to stay away from traders who will basically hawk your order around to get the cheapest price. Cut and paste this link into the browser. http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=&SearchText=clothing+manufacturers+with+certification You can see I asked for manufacturers and certification. This gives me almost 100% factories and gold members and shows they are serious. You now need to be specific about the quality of fabric. Even though they are gold members they might be making 20 cent shirts for the Bangladesh market. Make sure you tell them the fabric quality, ask them for rub test details (standard in fabric is the MARTINDALE rub test) you want to be able to tell them the thread quality and how to put the garment together with over locking or any other sewing specifics. You might also like to get them to send you a single piece of their best quality which might suit you fine. Have fun and if I can be of further help let me know Regards Jim
There are lots of scammers on Alibaba, but it's pretty easy to avoid them. Just follow the basic advice in this article and in the comments and you'll be fine. Like Jim said, you don't need to act like the next Walmart to get good prices and quality. Just avoid the red flags and you'll be fine.
I would follow the advice in this article! :)
Of course! You can email me any time. For once, I have nobody waiting on a response :)
Couldn't have said it better Jim! I think you have a ton of opportunity Nick. Speaking Mandarin alone is a massive advantage. The fact that you can actually go and visit China is even better. Like Jim said, plan ahead and make sure you get the most out of your trip. It is a MASSIVE event, it will blow your mind. It's worth going to even if you don't want to import :) Good luck, Will
Hello David, I don't think you'll need any special licenses or anything. But, since you're in California, I would check and make sure. The tax system in that State is a little outrageous. I would just contact a freight forwarder or customs broker in your area and ask them the same question. It's a simple question, but I don't know the exact answer since I don't do business in California. Hope this helps, Will
Hey Will As far as customs goo for typical items, such as plastics. How much do they charge in Florida.and how will I know in advance so that I can allocate the money prior to receiving the shipments. Thanks
Hey Mohamed, The only way to know the customs details of any item is to research it and find out. There is something called the Harmonized Tariff Schedule that will help - http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/index.htm Or, you can contact an importing broker/freight forwarder and ask them to quote you on it. I would recommend doing this if you're unsure, as they will generally know best. Hope this helps, Will
Will, Can you please let me have Joe Rosen's contact details for his merch in NY - his comment was from 13th June - he was the guy who is killing it with $85k per month. I would love to get in touch with him about buying some stuff for california. Thanks James [redacted]
Ooh Dear Will, its great work and service, you have establish a great community, who have little money but great talent, i was looking for such group of people.Now i will also start to find a business suitable to me and in my country. my homeland is Pakistan.
Hi Will, This is a great posting ! Very informative indeed.Great Job ! I am planning to setup a bags business in the USA for which I plan on using one of the following options : 1) importing fabric from asia (India,China or others) and making the bags in the US 2) Everything ready to consume in asia and shipped to me in US. In either case,what are the importing norms I need to be aware off ? Are there special restrictions on the fabrics that one could import into the US? I plan on using cotton or nylon for the most part. Would appreciate any DOs & DONTs on the above approach if possible, and any inputs you may have inorder to determine the exact customs regulations on fabrics. Also,is there any reliable supplier network like alibaba for india or srilanka ? I am a newbie,so my apologies if my questions are basic in nature. Thanks, Sriram
Hi guys, I wanted to find out if there are ways/websites either free or paid to get ebay or amazon sales/listings history. Thanks in advance, Sriram
Hi Guys, The following are questions for a startup: Any thoughts on how to handle returns on stuff imported from China ? Is it even meaningful and financially feasible to return back to china ? Thanks
No problem James, I'll be sure to email him with that info!
thanks bro its really helpful for freshie like me.
Hi Sriram, Few things to check out for you. Firstly you need to contact your customs and let them know the fabrics you are looking to bring in. In some countries duty on certain things is high to protect local industries. For instance I have a friend who sells over 5 million dollars worth of wire coat hangers in the states in the hotel sector. He was hit with what's called a dumping duty to the tune of 300% to protect local business. Fortunately for him that only applied to hangers from China so he was able to switch to a non Chinese factory. So get that checked out. You will almost certainly pay more for a fully finished product than you will for components so again get that checked out. I import into the states a unique range of handmade vases, all feature natural products like shell, leaves etc. I get put through the ringer each time to produce my certification allowing me to export natural products. If you are looking into say cotton fabric then I would make sure your factory can give you certification and assurances( written always) that any natural products such as cotton are sourced responsibly. Its a great marketing tool as well as many customers are "earth wise" and like to think they shop responsibly. As for choosing suppliers from India or Sri Lanka you should be able to filter these through Alibaba. Make sure you get Gold suppliers and samples before pulling the cash out for an order. Happy trading mate! Jim
Hi Sriram, Not that I know of, but it isn't too tough to get going. Just go through and do some spring cleaning and sell what you haven't used in a year. Or, have some friends do some cleaning of their own, and offer to sell their good for a 30% cut. I think those two ways are probably better than paying for an old eBay account or anything like that. Hope this helps, Will
You definitely want to get that figured out before you buy in bulk. Every factory is different. Some will offer end-user warranties, while others won't give anything. The best factories are the ones you can return damaged goods to for credit or repair, so aim for that! It's sometimes worth it, but most of the time you just get credited and throw away the damaged goods stateside. Hope this helps, Will
Hi Will, Do you have an email so I can ask question privately? Thanks
Nice article, very informative... must i pay for sample products i intend to buy
hi Jay, free samples would be great wouldn't it! factories in Asia would go bust sending out freebies as they get so many requests. To weed out the serious buyers they would normally offer to refund the cost of the sample from your order. That makes you think carefully and gives them $$ for the cost of the sample. Be patient with the factories and never expect a freebie as most often you will be disappointed. safe and happy trading! Jim
Import and export business can be extremely profitable, especially during periods of global monetary fluctuations.
For sure Kevin - just put your email in one of the forms on the site and reply to that email! Or, if you really don't want to get my emails, it's will at startupbros.com :)
He's right Jay! :)
Wow so much to learn here! Thanks for the post! I'm a Chinese living overseas and would like to start importing stuff from Aisa. I've never done business before and have no clue but I've been thinking about it lately. Again, your post is great and thank you :)
No problem Lin, glad you liked it! Good luck to you :)
Hi I'm from England and looking to get started in the buying and selling business and found this article/blog very informative an hopefully totally unbiased towards certain websites just a quick thank you for steering me in the right direction..good work!
Glad I could help Peter - Good luck! :)
It was a very useful information about importing. I really enjoyed reading it. Since I am researching to do similar business, this article gave me a better understanding of the process and it made me realize I am in the right direction. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Dear Will, I am a student from India. And I would like to start import from China some Storage Devices like Hard Drives and sd cards. When I ordered for the sample quantities they are giving a reasonable price but the shipping charges they are asking is twice the product price. So can you suggest me on how can I check the shipping charges are genuine. And should I take order from a Non Gold Suppliers who are sending me very cheap quotations on my private mail address..how to check they are genuine?....Please help me...waiting for your reply....
Awesome, glad you liked it Kal! Good to hear you're going in the right direction - let me know where you end up ;) Good luck, Will
One question I got banned from ebay for posting the same item multiple times what do you think ill be able to sell in the future ? I can still bu but not sell
Hi Vivek, You are entering a world of potential pain with electronics my friend. Shipping charges are sometimes a way of the factory making a little more to cover them selves. As an easy way to check go to a site called "we deliver the world" which is a UK based courier broker. On this site you can arrange pick up and delivery without being either the recipient or sender. The best thing is you can get a quote for the shipping normally heavily discounted in a matter of 2 minutes, No account signing in or giving them your email etc. Secondly, anyone selling electronics should be selling millions of them to make a living as a proper company as the returns are low per piece and if they are not a gold supplier steer clear. Best bet fro this type of thing is from Taiwanese companies. You will be disappointed at the low returns on electronics (I was). If you want to try from a trusted source and only ant to buy one or two things like these cards, or a DS or similar things then I have used www.stepfly.com these guys are genuine, sell very marketable items and you can make 20-30 per item on something like a DS as they sometimes give you a card with like 400 games on it for nothing so there is a bit of added value. They take paypal so that's another bonus. and for anyone out there not sure of who they deal with, ask for a copy of their identity card. anyone less than honest will be extremely reluctant whilst anyone proper will be happy to send you a picture of their card. Happy days mate! Jim
Sorry to hear that. I'm not too familiar with getting around eBay bans, but I'm sure there is some way to do it. I would just start Googling! It won't be easy.
Hello, I just read your article and its very interesting. I just have a question. How you do with duties and taxes when you are importing? In my opinion the want to squeeze you as much as they can. I have an audit with customs because the package value was very low and it was a big package. Now I don't know what to do. Thank you! Any help is appreciated.
Hi 22elnegocio, Ebay sometimes bans newbies if they go from zero to 60 in a nano second. That is to say almost idle to posting heaps of items. Its their way of checking you out and you have to do the running so you need to call them and explain why you now have multiples of the same thing and they may want proof of this so you need to be able to back it up. I had a similar issue with PayPal some years ago but they were fantastic once they sw I was genuine. Regards Jim